Environmental studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to the examination of nature and the causes and consequences of human interactions with the environment. Are natural disasters truly “natural”? Why are environmental benefits and burdens inequitably distributed across cities and regions? How do global environmental processes impact the health and wellbeing of populations in different places? Our programs focus on teaching and research for social change using a range of geographic methods.
Our department offers a BA in Environmental Studies and a MA and PhD in Geography and Urban Studies. Through interdisciplinary coursework that confers strong social science skills with technical training, our students are trained to analyze multi-faceted problems with a range of analytical tools and skills including the following:
- A global approach
- Spatial thinking
- An interdisciplinary perspective
- Understanding of the complexity of interactions between humans and the environment
- Social science research methods, policy analysis, and technical skills
- Written, oral and visual communication skills
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and mapping software
